Improvement in portable and stationary lanterns



L. W. LEARY.

Purtable and Stationary Lantern. No. 85,014. Patented Dec. 15, 1868.

H. PETERS. Fbawumo m hen Washington. [LC- mad 1*- gfim LEMUEL W. LE ARY, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

Letters Patent No. 85,014, dated December 15, 1868.

HEPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE AND STATIONARY LANTERNS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, LEMUEL W. LEARY, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk, and in the State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable and Stationary Lanterns; andl do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents avertical section ofmy improved lantern, at the line a; a; of fig. 2;

Figure 2, a horizontal section of the same, at the line y y of fig. 1;

Figure 3, a view, in elevation, of the lamp detached;

- Figure 4, a horizontal section of my improved lantern, with the lamp removed, at the line 2 z of fig. 1; and

Figure 5, a bottom view of the same, with the lamp in the position shown by fig. 1.

The. object of. my invention is to provide alantern, either portable or stationary, which can be lighted with ease and certainty in the open air, in situations ex .posed to the wind and rain, as on the deck of a vessel,

the'platform or roof of a railroad-car in motion, 850.; to which end,

My improvements consist in attaching the globe or glass portion of the lanternto a hollow cylindrical metallic base, which is made double, and within which the lamp is placed, being held in position by springs, and inserted, lowered, and removed, as hereafter described.

A vertical friction or igniting-plate is secured upon the top of the lamp, in convenient proximity to the wick, and a narrow vertical slotis cut in the inner and outer casings of the base, within which the lamp is so placed that, when lowered, the friction-plate will be opposite the slots, through which a match can be inserted,

ignitedupon the plate, and the lamp lighted without 'removing'it from the lantern, or involving any risk of the match .or lamp being extinguished by rain or currents of air, thus' enabling the lantern to be used in many situations 'where one of ordinary construction would be veryinconvenient, if not altogether useless.

In the accompanying drawings, which show a convenient arrangementof parts for carrying out the. objects of, my invention- 1 A represents the globe of the-lantern, and A the guard or cage which surrounds it.

'The globe A is secured to a cylindrical sheet-metal base, composed of the inner and outer sections B B united at their lower ends by an annular. plate or flange, 0.

Narrow vertical slots 7) b are cut in line with each other, in the sections B B, and the outer section, B is likewise perforated with a series of holes, I), for supplying air to the lamp.

Vertical slots b b are made in the inner section, B, and openings 0 c in the flange 0, one of which, c', is larger than the other.

D represents a cylindrical metallic lamp, which fits within the inner section, B, and F, its burner, which pinay be of any approved construction, and adapted to burning any kind of oil preferred.

The black lines in fig. 1 show the lamp in position to be lighted, and thered lines its position after being lighted, andwhen in use. p I

A vertical friction-plate, E, of steel or hardened iron, and serrated or roughened upon its outer face, is secured upon the top of the lamp D, its top being slightly below that of the burner F, and contiguous thereto.

f represents the wick, which is raised and lowered by means of a spur-wheel, h, upon a horizontal shaft, H, carrying a crown-wheel, 7:, upon one of the ends, which is rotated by means of a pinion, g, upon the upper end of a shaft, G, which passes through a tube, G, extending through; and soldered to the lamp, and which carries a milled head, g, upon its lower end.

base of the lantern, or opening any door or orifice therein. 1

Horizontal lugs or projections D D of which 1) is the larger, are secured upon the periphery of the lamp, near its top, and immediately. beneath them the platesprings d (l are secured to the lamp, by their upper ends.-

An annular flange or foot, 0, serves as a rest for the lantern when set down, and draught is maintained through the openings 0 in the cap A".

which the lamp is filled. 4

. The operation of my improved lanternis as follows: The lamp D, being properly filled and trimmed, is inserted into the inner section, B, by causing its lugs D D to enterthe openings 0 c of the flange O, and turning it until they enter the vertical slots b b when the lamp is pushed up to the position shown by the red lines in fig. 1, and the springs d pressing outward, their lower ends rest upon the flange O, and hold the ,lamp securely in position.

- Owing to the lugs D D being of difi'erent sizes, it is impossible to put in the lamp in a wrong position.

When the lamp is to be lighted, the lower ends of the springs (Z are pressed inward, and the lamp drawn down to'the position shown by the black lines of fig. 1, when the lugs D D rest upon theflange G, and hold it. These lugs being at right angles to the friction-plate E, the latter will be directly opposite the slots b 11, through which a match is inserted, ignited upon the plate, and the lamp lighted, both operations being performed inside the base, and without risk of interference from rain or currents of air.

The lamp is then pushed upto the position shown by the red lines, and is ready for use.

My lantern is of cheap and -simple construction, and fronrthe certainty with which it can be lighted in the open air, and in any kind of weathenit will be found By this means the wick may be raised and lowered I withoutremoving-thc -lamp from its position inibe I represents a screw-cap covering an opening through to be of great practical value to brakemen upon railroads, for use on decks of steamers or sailing-vessels, and numerous similar cases. Moreover, the improve ment is readily applicable to street-lamps or other stationary lights.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Lighting the match and wick within the base, without removing the same, or opening any door, substantially as described.

2. The vertical friction-plate E, secured upon the top of the lamp, in combination with the sections B B, slots b b, and burner 'F,-or an ordinary wick-tube, as set forth.

3. The lugs D D", and springs 11 d, in combination with the flange O, openings 0 0, sections B B, and slots 1)". b1, the whole constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

The-above specification signed by me, this 20th day of October, 1.868.

LEML W. LEARY. Witnesses:

J 0s. T. Poms, Games HERRON. 

